“By situating loan officers in each HER office, both the customer and the real estate agent have immediate access to the loan officer,” RFC CEO Michael Isaacs said in a press release. “This creates a streamlined homebuying experience with greater communication, so customers can close on their homes faster and with greater ease.”

Residential Finance currently has 46 lenders at its Easton office and plans more hiring to fully staff HER’s 60 offices, though it’s unclear how many, spokeswoman Lili Macklin told me. It will maintain the Easton location.

Residential Finance began shifting focus from refinancing to purchases about 18 months ago and hasn’t been stung by rising rates as much as others, Macklin said.

HER has more than 820 agents throughout 60 offices in Central Ohio, Cincinnati and Dayton, and has been expanding rapidly of late. The company previously had partnered exclusively with Wells Fargo for mortgage lending. HER executives were not immediately available for comment.